The underlying concept of the Lazy GM series is to provide complete stat blocks for use as opposition during your game. Most of the preceeding volumes have explored a single creature in depth, but this one consists of a trawl through the Monster Manual, presenting many familiar and favourite creatures all ready to square up against the characters. Now they already come with stat blocks, so why bother? you may ask. The added value here is that stat blocks for different Hit Dice, with various appropriate templates applied, and even - when the creature is capable of it - with class levels and abilites added. So it's not just yet another gargoyle, maybe this one is a vampire and knows how to use a crossbow!

But it's not just page after page of stat blocks. The Introduction explains the underlying processes used in their construction, so that the not-so-lazy GM is empowered to tweak them to suit his needs, or even apply the same concepts to a monster not covered here.

The monsters are indexed both by name and by Challenge Rating, so that if you know you want an assassin vine you can review the options; or if you know the level of opposition which you need to supply you can check what's available. As a further refinement, they are also classified by type - mode of behaviour or attack method - so that you can survey all those creatures which, for example, like to grapple and pick out the one which best fits your adventure.

This isn't a good afternoon's read, nor is it intended to be - it is a very useful tool for the DM who likes proper stat blocks for the monsters he plans to use, but would rather spend his preparation time on plotline and other creative aspects of adventure design.

Return to The Lazy GM: Savage Creatures page.

Reviewed: 17 January 2009